DSG &#150; the intelligent automatic gearbox from VolkswagenWolfsburg, Germany - World&#146;s first 7-speed DSG for high-volume production &#150; starting in the GolfSignificantly improved fuel economy and lower emissions thanks to DSGFrom Polo to Passat &#150; new DSG for all TDI and TSI engines up to 250 Nm

I would like to know if it's 170 HP and has a sunroof, Cold weather pkg and what spd manual comes with it? I'm interrested because it seems with VW you get more options included than a Mazda HB.On my 08 .5 New value the book is $15375.00 the car has 4600 miles on it.Mazda wanted almost 9k more for their GT HB. I left and saw an 09 Rabbit with all the options (even Moonrof) that is an option on Mazda Gt S HB.(price$24365.00) Rabbit price $19500.00 So I'am going to wait to see the new VW'S when they get here.Anyone know?

I'm not sure. It will be most likely a 6 speed unit. You can also order bluetooth for 2010. It might be a 140 HP TDI unit. VW has been rumored on making a twin turbo 200 HP TDI. That would be one heck on an engine I'd say.

Well VW has decided to change the name for the 2010 Golf. It's now going back to the old name which is Golf. So now It will be the Golf GT, Golf GTD, but they might call the Golf GTi just GTI. Hope this helps.

The good news is that all these options are available on the Golf TDI regardless of how many doors it has. The tech package might be the Navi, MDI, and backup camera. VW might be nice enough to launch new radios. These new radios support the MDI which means full iPod integration if you purchase the right cable which is part number 000 051 446 C. Hope this helps.

If anyone is still watching this discussion... anyone know how to remove the air vent grille that is on the top center of the dashboard? It's probably easy to do but I don't want to mangle it. I saw a post awhile back from someone who had replaced that grille with a tray. I don't want to do that but want to remove the grille so I can apply some thin rubber pieces to eliminate a faint rattle.

I was wandering the local VW lot yesterday looking at the new Jetta TDI's. They where all lined up in a neat row with 3 White ones side by side. The 3 were identical exept the white color, on 2 of was what I would call an 'Off White', seemed to have some beige in it, and the other was an 'Appliance White' or snow white.

The 'off white' BTW, was a far nicer looking color than the pure, snow white.

Anyone know if VW is tinkering with their color options to include an 'Oyster White'?

Volkswagen is preparing to choose suppliers for the mid-sized sedan it will produce at a factory under construction in Chattanooga, Tenn., said Stefan Jacoby, CEO of Volkswagen Group of America Inc. Most of the suppliers will be American, Jacoby said. The car, which was designed for the United States, is scheduled to debut in 2012.

Before that happens, two other VWs will be replaced. The next-generation Golf -- which will return to that name after having been called the Rabbit in the United States -- will be launched this fall, followed by a redesigned Jetta next year.

Jacoby said 2009 will be dismal for the market as a whole. He expects no recovery until 2010. Volkswagen's sales are down this year, but its market share is up. Jacoby aims to maintain VW's current 2 percent share while driving down inventory through production cuts.

Jacoby, 51, became head of Volkswagen in America in September 2007. Before that, he was executive vice president for global marketing and sales for Volkswagen Group from 2004 to 2007. Jacoby was responsible for VW's Asia-Pacific region from 1997 to 2001.

He was interviewed by Staff Reporter Diana T. Kurylko in early April.

What is your assessment of Volkswagen's performance in the first quarter, and what will the rest of the year bring?

It's difficult to predict what will happen this year. We sold fewer than 50,000 VWs and gained market share.

In what segments did you gain market share?

We have a 1.9 percent share of the total U.S. market, compared with 1.4 percent in 2008. We gained sales for all the new vehicles that were launched last year -- the Routan, the Tiguan and the CC [a Passat-based sedan]. We sold more than 2,000 CCs last month. The Routan is gaining segment share.

The market is down between 35 and 40 percent, fluctuating month by month. We do not expect any recovery in 2009. We hope a scrapping program could stimulate consumer demand, and the fleet business has recovered a little bit.

How is your fleet business?

We are almost not in it, which is healthy and by choice. We are now generating a few new fleet sales, but we are continuing with our strategy to keep fleet sales below 10 percent. That's the level we have had in the last few years.

You are not hopeful about the overall market this year?

No. I believe the market may come back in 2010 or maybe by the end of 2009. I believe that recovery would bring us back to a level of 13-14 million vehicles. A market higher than this won't come back short-term.

How will VW cope? You have avoided some of the higher incentives that your competitors have used, but sales for some vehicles are slipping. Rabbit sales are down dramatically, although that could be because of the run-out. But even sales of the fuel-efficient Tiguan SUV are low.

The Rabbit is in a phaseout. The Tiguan is making its way -- we sold more than a thousand last month. We will not increase our incentives. We will not participate in the heavy incentive spends of some of our competitors. We are driving the business on a short-term basis. It is important for us to stabilize our market share at about 2 percent. It is also important for us to reduce our stock situation for our dealers.

How are you reducing your days supply of vehicles? By bringing fewer cars in?

Of course. We have adapted our production accordingly. One of the objectives we have is to support our dealers in floorplan. We aren't pulling out of it.

What percentage of your network is in trouble?

Less than 10 percent. About 55 percent of our dealers are affiliated with domestics, and perhaps that is where the trouble is coming from. The network, on average, is profitable

What is their return on sales?

On average, it is about 1.8 percent, and the exclusive dealers are higher at about 2.0 percent.What can you do for dealers who get into trouble with other franchises?

Our hands are tied, for legal reasons. We have an eye on it. What we can do, we do -- and do it by floorplan, by having effective retail offers in the market, by reducing stock significantly and, when we are legally allowed, by having a close relationship with financial services.

Have many dealers closed recently?

Six dealers have closed since October, but this is a natural rate for us. There have not been a significant number of dealer closings because of the economic crisis. We have maintained a 575- to 600-dealer count for about 15 years.

Can you give us an update on the Chattanooga factory you are building?

We are on track with the construction and for selection of suppliers.

When will you select suppliers?

Within the next few months. I can't give you details on how many have been chosen. They will be in a supplier park, and they will be mainly American suppliers.

What will be the local content by value?

About 80 percent. The engine will come out of NAFTA -- we have capacity for gasoline engines out of Mexico, which we will utilize. Diesel engines still come out of Europe.

When will you go into pilot production?

The market rollout will be in the spring of 2012. The start of production is not yet defined.

Has the design of the mid-sized sedan been approved?

Yes. We showed prototypes to part of our dealer council in Wolfsburg two weeks ago, and they were very excited. We also showed them what's coming in the next few years.

How much different will it be from the Passat sedan?

Very different. It will be bigger and sleeker, and it has items necessary for Americans -- space, seat comfort, cupholders, Bluetooth and other electronics. Very importantly, it remains a VW. It has been totally designed and engineered for the needs of American consumers.

Does this mean you won't include some features that you need in Europe, like heavy-duty brakes that can stop the car at high speed on the autobahn?

Safety is one of our claims. We won't make any compromises.What price range are you targeting?

It will start at about $20,000.

How can you economize on the new car without sacrificing performance?

Mainly by localizing production. There will be features that some of our customers will wish we had on all of our vehicles -- like Bluetooth connections. It will have the latest technology, like a new navigation system.

And you'll use existing engines?

For now, we'll use the 2.0-liter and the 2.5-liter optimized -- which we're doing for the Golf anyway.

Any decisions on the second vehicle?

No, stay tuned. We are considering a compact SUV, a mid-sized SUV and the Polo family -- which hasn't been decided.

When does the next-generation Polo come out, and will it come to the United States?

It was at the Geneva auto show in March. We haven't decided whether to bring this vehicle into the United States. We have introduced the hatchback in Europe. We believe -- and dealers have confirmed this -- that the vehicle is too small for the American consumer. We have alternatives, and these could be a Polo sedan and perhaps later a hatchback with more space. We are investigating what model we should start with and when we should start -- in 2011 or 2012.

What price are you looking at for the Polo?

Under the Jetta -- starting at $13,000 and going up to $15,000.

Where does the Jetta fit in your product strategy with the new mid-sized sedan coming?

The Jetta successor will be between the Polo and the new mid-sized sedan. It will compete with the Toyota Corolla and Honda Civic.

How big will it be?

It will be bigger than today's car, and it will be longer and wider. It comes in the fall of 2010.

You are changing the name of the Rabbit back to the Golf with the model change this fall, but will you keep the Jetta name?

The naming is not decided. It is one of the strongest nameplates we have in the United States. This is the biggest market. We sold around 100,000 last year.

What enhancements will the Golf have when the new generation comes to the United States?

The biggest is that we will offer the Golf with TDI diesel technology -- the same engine we have in the Jetta. We believe 30 percent of the Golfs could be sold as diesels.

What will the price be?

About $17,500, which is where it is right now. We have put in a lot of technology to make the car lighter and more comfortable. It's not that much bigger. The interior design is more refined.

Has the recession led you to revise your long-term strategy of selling 1 million units in the United States by 2018?No. Together, VW and Audi will sell 1 million -- 800,000 for VW and 200,000 for Audi.

Sure has improved (ride, handling, quiet, power) since my last VW Golf, a 2004 4 door 5 speed. Cabin materials and quality are even a little better, but they have always been superb.

Engine rpm seem to be 1,000 rpm lower than on the old 2.0.

The 2.5 is super smooth, especially compared to the early production run which I test drove when it came out. If I didn't know better, I'd think it was a conventional 4 cylinder with great counterbalancers.

Incredible torque and low end power. Takes off like a rocket up to 40 mph. Haven't really opened it up on the freeway or even taken it over 4,500 rpm.

Feels like I am going faster than the speedometer indicates, and I am wondering if it reads low/accurate (many speedometers are 5 mph optimistic). The speed doesn't read high on the freeway, but I am keeping up in the fast lane and it DOES feel faster than indicated speed even though the cabin is nicely isolated. Considering that I can drive a Honda Fit (I had a 2008), Toyota Yaris hatchback, Nissan Cube all at the same indicated speed WITHOUT feeling like I am going fast, I am thinking the Rabbit might be going at least 5mph faster than a comparable speedometer reading in the other cars I mentioned.

The build quality and materials are fantastic.

I had misgivings based on engine glitches (computer glitches? stalling, loss of power) in my 2001 Golf around 43,000 miles. In fact that's the main reason I traded in my 2004 early, under 10,000 miles - it didn't develop any problems but I didn't quite trust it.

Anyway I am resigned to owning two commuter cars due to my long commute (share the mileage) and since the other one is a Nissan I feel better about taking the "risk" with this new VW. That and the fact that Consumer Reports customer surveys are outstanding. Anyway odds are I'll trade it in before the warranty runs out, or earlier if weird stuff happens.

Anyway I am the happiest I have been in years, in terms of driving experience. Truly a driver's car.

The problem with bringing the GTD to North America is that the current 140 hp engine in the Jetta TDI has a diesel particulate filter but not urea injection. The 170 hp engine in the GTD would probably require urea injection -- added complexity and added cost. If VWoA could sell it for the price of a GTI, then that would be great. But what if the price was $1000-2000 MORE than a GTI? Not such a good deal anymore. I'd love one, but I wouldn't love the price.

Congrats on your new Rabbit! I did a similar switch back in April, went from a 2005 Jetta GL 2.0 (with AT though) to a 2007 Rabbit 2 door (with AT also). I liked the Jetta, but had it only 3 months before it was totaled. But I made out OK in the switch, as the Rabbit is clearly a better car than my Jetta. As you noted, more power (I only have 150 hp though), better handling, better interior materials, and more quiet and relaxed on the highway with the low-revving engine (2100 RPM @ 70 mph with the 6AT--much higher revs on the old Jetta!). I find I have to watch the speedo carefully as it will get over the limit before I know it. The one area that I think the Jetta had an advantage is in ride smoothness--the Rabbit has a firmer ride. Not harsh, but firmer and more tire noise than the Jetta (even though they have the same size rubber, and even the same kind of tires).

Both of these cars were VW Certified used cars. The Jetta had 2 years of factory warranty which I extended to 8 years (which I never used of course). The Rabbit has almost 4 years of factory bumper-to-bumper warranty left on it, so that gives me some peace of mind from the VW gremlins. However, the car is pretty basic and the Rabbit has a good reliability record so far, so I don't feel I took that much of a risk and it's a great car for what I paid ($11k + T&L). I plan on holding onto it for at least 8 years, turning it over to my daughter for school in about 3 years. But like you said, I can trade it earlier if "weird stuff" happens.

I love my Rabbit! Can't wait to get back into it again after being away from home the past week. I had to drive an Impala for a week.

I have a 07 vw rabbit. It has one of those manumatic/shifttronic things that lets me shift manually. Does using this create more wear and tear on my transmission than just putting it in D and driving normally? I sometimes engine brake.

The Golf TDI will kick the Prius and Insight in the [non-permissible content removed]. Convert to a Veggie Oil option and the Prius will be crying. The Toyota is way overpriced...........I hope the celebrity corwd luvs it.........because it is not for the regular guy.